Ref: Cathedral Provincial Park - BC Parks
The 1:50 000 map has the name Quiniscoe Mountain on this peak and Red
Mountain on the 2361m peak 2km to the NE which the parks map calls
Scout Mountain.
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Cathedral Provincial Park trail map.
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Scramble:
The forecast for this
fall weekend was stellar. Wanting to take advantage of this occasion, I
decided
to go on an overnight trip. I had never been to Cathedral Provincial
Park. Research revealed that access is restricted; visitors must hike
to
the core area or take the pricey (140-160$/person) shuttle. Lakeview
Trail leads to the lodge by Quiniscoe Lake where numerous well-defined
trails begin. It's not just a walk in the park, it covers 16 kilometers
with a whopping 1,340
meters of height gain. My plan
was to camp near the lodge and scramble the closest mountain if time
and
energy permitted. I drove to Keremeos and slept in my truck. The
following morning, I located the trailhead's side road that is 1.7
kilometers
after the lodge's shuttle compound. I started hiking on the trail and
when it intersected the service road, I continued on the
road; this cut 2.5 kilometers. I encountered snow about half
way but it wasn't too deep, the approach was a long
boring schlep. Needless to say, I was overjoyed to reach the lodge. There
was no staff there,
everything was closed for the season. I was quite impressed with the
remote facilities, however it felt ghostly. I dropped my extra
gear and continued on the snow-covered trail along Quiniscoe Lake. At
the back of the lake, the trail was no longer discernable; I aimed for
the bare south-facing slopes of Red Mountain, it's at that
moment that I decided to scramble to the top. The ascent is short and
straightforward, exactly what I was looking for. I was delighted to
gain the summit plateau and engage in a pleasant walk to the cairn. The sun
was low and it felt like fall, luckily it wasn't too windy. I stayed at
the cairn for a while to savour the view. Back at the lodge, curiosity caught me
checking the door of one of the cabins; to my surprise, it was
unlocked! I couldn't resist the convenience of this cozy shelter. I
enjoyed a fabulous dinner by a warm woodstove and I slept very well.
The
following day I hiked out and promised myself to return and stay more
than a night.
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Cathedral Park Lodge and Quiniscoe Mountain.
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Viewing the main lodge from the cabins on the mountainside.
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Looking at Quiniscoe Lake, the lodge is on the left with Lakeview Mountain in the background.
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To the south, Quiniscoe Mountain with Pyramid Mountain behind it.
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Lovely walk to the cairn on the broad summit plateau.
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View north towards Crater Mountain.
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Lakeview Mountain and The Boxcar. |
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It's easy to combine Quiniscoe Mountain and continue towards Pyramid Mountain. |
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Southern view across the US border.
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The cairn atop Red Mountain.
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Enjoying the view and late afternoon sun.
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Time to leave the summit.
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Sunset as I descend.
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Quiniscoe Lake below.
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It's getting dark along the lake.
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Cozy in one of the little cabins.
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Before leaving, I took a picture of some of the little cabins.
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Beautiful lakeview from the lodge's dock.
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